Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Yxunomei 06-11-07, 03:05 AM	After seeing the Necropolitan template, I've begun to wonder why anyone would choose it over the Lich template. It almost seems be the "poor man's choice" for becoming an intelligent undead. With that said, okay... maybe it's a fighter/rogue who wants to be undead and not a spellcaster... but I've always thought that the best undead template for rogues-types was the vampire template and that more focus should be placed on the so Death Knight template (which I haven't seen but it's apparantly the ultimate for fighter-types). The fact that you don't have to be evil is pretty good, but the roles for good undead IMO are quite limited (outside of the Baelnorn, sp?). So what are your opinions on the Necropolitan template?
Paix 06-11-07, 08:06 AM	You wouldn't. Having said that, I am eagerly awaiting the Necropeasant Prc, which optimises your average commoner in undeath and allows the farmer to continue working those fields for an eternity. The lore of how it fits the realms would also be a blast, I am certain.
runestar 06-11-07, 08:17 AM	The absence of a LA+4 drawback makes it fairly attractive. You can also take the necropolitan template much earlier than the lich template.
GothicDan 06-11-07, 08:46 AM	The Necropolitan template is specifically designed to be a low (or is no?) LA template applied to a 'normal' but worthy member of a society that, at least in part, accepts undeath. Actually read the flavor text concerning it in Libris Mortis. Also, the name itself is a play off of Cosmopolitan, a normal person who knows the ways of the city. Necropolitan is just supposed to be a dead one. Your question is kind of like asking, "Why would I buy a magical pitchfork designed by a Chauntean Druid to gather better harvests, when I'm an adventuring Fighter who knows nothing about agriculture at all?"
lint trap 06-11-07, 04:19 PM	Like folks are saying, the +0 LA of the Necropolitan is a huge plus, especially for a primary caster. And yes, the Lich and Vampire templates are nifty, but at a cost of +4/+8 LA respectively, they aren't always superior choices. Basically, some people choose Necropolitan over Lich for the same reasons they choose to play an Aasimar over an Astral Deva.
lint trap 06-11-07, 04:20 PM	The Necropolitan template is specifically designed to be a low (or is no?) LA template applied to a 'normal' but worthy member of a society that, at least in part, accepts undeath. It's "no," but you lose a level in the conversion process.
Lord Karsus 06-11-07, 06:13 PM	Having said that, I am eagerly awaiting the Necropeasant Prc, which optimises your average commoner in undeath and allows the farmer to continue working those fields for an eternity. The lore of how it fits the realms would also be a blast, I am certain. -Cormyran Farmer with Pitchfork #2 can't wait.
Yxunomei 06-12-07, 01:56 AM	It's "no," but you lose a level in the conversion process. That's where the Pale Master PrC option comes in I'd assume.
Kurama Youko 06-15-07, 06:44 AM	:D The real question is why you would you play a Lich, ie Necropolian + 19 levels of Dread Necromancer.
Kurama Youko 06-15-07, 06:45 AM	It's "no," but you lose a level in the conversion process. Which is still not a level adjustment, its just you coming into the campaign 1 lv lower than the rest of the party which means you should be getting more exp than the rest of the party, hence over time you will catch up.
Shemeska the Marauder 06-15-07, 06:59 AM	Well the easy answer in-game is that you might not be aware of one or the other, or either, and you might have to research your own method of immortality via undeath. Characters don't have the monster manual to pick and choose what they'll be doing ;)
Kurama Youko 06-15-07, 07:48 AM	good answer.
Kevin Andrew Murphy 06-25-07, 12:28 AM	Necropolitans are sociable cultured pleasant undead people who happily allow just about anyone into their cemetery-gated community so long as they pony up 3000 GP for the entry ritual, something which can be feasibly done even by 2nd or 3rd level characters. Liches, contrawise, have to do some "unspeakably evil" ritual, which is so unspeakable that it's not even described (rather like the "perverted sex acts" you need to perform to get the "lich loved" feat, because just regular vanilla sex with a lich won't do it, it has to be "perverted"). It also costs 120,000 gp to become a lich and that's just to create the damn phylactery, which also requires Craft Wondrous Item (though that's not a trouble for most wizards) and you've also got this fear aura that terrifies everyone under 5 HD, which makes visits with the grandkids problematic. It should also be noted that just buying in to the necropolitan's gated community doesn't mean you can't become a lich. The lich template can be added to "any humanoid creature" and there are some nice perks to being a Necropolitan Lich: better turn resistance and both sets of powers. Of course you're sacking 5 levels total, but compared to a lot of the hobbled caster prestige classes, such as guys who turn into green metal statues, being a Necropolitan Lich with a phylactery is a really good deal.
Kurama Youko 06-25-07, 08:44 AM	You're forgetting you need to be a 10th ot 11th lv spellcaster before becoming a lich anyway. Also the Necropolian isnt a LA+1, take a look at my second post to see what i mean by that.
Lord Karsus 06-25-07, 11:09 AM	Liches, contrawise, have to do some "unspeakably evil" ritual, which is so unspeakable that it's not even described (rather like the "perverted sex acts" you need to perform to get the "lich loved" feat, because just regular vanilla sex with a lich won't do it, it has to be "perverted"). It also costs 120,000 gp to become a lich and that's just to create the damn phylactery, which also requires Craft Wondrous Item (though that's not a trouble for most wizards) and you've also got this fear aura that terrifies everyone under 5 HD, which makes visits with the grandkids problematic. -That is not universally true. There are different kinds of Liches, not all of them evil and not all of them requiring phylacteries.
Suncapcd 06-25-07, 12:02 PM	Necropolitans absolutely rock! Far and above my favorite template. Lets compare shall we? Lich +4 CR, costs 120k Touch attack (who would use this especially as a caster versus casting a spell?) Stat bonus: Ok this is nice Fear aura: Against 5 hd/lv creatures? Like this is even a concern Phalactary: Now this is nice Immune to Crit, cold, neg energy, electricity, poison, massive damage save Water breathing/suffication immunity No need to sleep, eat or drink Necropolitan +0 CR, 3k cost Immune to Crit, neg energy, cold, electricity, poison, massive damage save Water breathing/suffication immunity No need for sleep No need to eat (maybe crave meat) or drink Now imagine a warrior or rogue that has the Necropolitan template. And say he gets it at lv 2 or 3. So you are talking about 2-3k of exp to get the template back and you never have to pay anything ever again. Now the lich has the stats which is a bonus and the ability to regenerate after dying but seriously, you can get a full res for 25k. So basically, you can die 5 times and get full resses for the cost of becoming the lich. My friend, if you croak 5 or more times with one character, maybe you need to look at how you are playing that character. Also with the lich, you pay a steep price. When everyone else is 20th lv, you are 16th lv but need 20k exp to make 17th lv. That sucks. So when everyone is casting epic spells, you are still casting 8th lv spells. Big difference.